I've a friend who I recently shown how to check his driving licence on the web. See View your driving licence information - GOV.UK Being an old git of 56 and a life long van driver, calling motorcycles "death traps" he was never interested in them and therefore never been near a motorcycle nor test. On his plastic card it shows no entitlement to any class A vehicles. When we looked on the web under the PROVISIONAL section, he is shown to have entitlement to ride any sized motorcycle. He (wrongly?) believes that if he put L-plates on he could ride my Duke. Comments and Comedy please?
Provisionally he can, under proper supervision (with an approved instructor teaching him to ride). Same as a car in that you have to be with someone teaching you, it's just that on a bike it can't be your dad down the industrial estate on a weekend. More often then not it's some kind of direct access or cbt
I am still puzzled about this. A couple of lads at work now have the "A" motorcycle category added to their licence since 2013. I cannot find any clear information on the interweb about it. If you are 24 or older, can you now ride any capacity motorcycle with L plates etc? How confusing is it! Surely someone must know?
Category A unrestricted motorcycles with a power output over 35 kW (minimum age 24 under direct access, or 21 under progressive access) tricycles with a power output over 15 kW (minimum age 21). Progressive access is a process that allows a rider to take a higher-category practical test if they already have at least two years’ experience on a lower-category motorcycle. For example, if you have held a category A2 licence for a minimum of two years, you can take the category A practical test at age 21. There is no requirement to take another theory test. If you want to learn to ride motorcycles larger than 125 cc and with a power output over 11 kW, you MUST meet the minimum age requirements, satisfactorily complete a CBT course and be accompanied by an approved instructor on another motorcycle in radio contact. So yes, but only with qualified instructor.
So, one of my guys at work is 65 and renewed his licence recently. His licence now has A category followed by 79 (tri) 01. He has never sat on a motorcycle. Before I passed my test I didn't have entitlement A on my licence. Surely this should only appear once the full test has been passed as previously? If I understand Harrydogs kind reply, anyone over 24 can now take a non fail able CBT and jump on a ZZR1400 with an instructor behind in radio contact?
Trust me - as someone who instructed for 8 years, the CBT is definitely not unfailable... There are idiots out there who aren't safe to be let loose with a hoop and stick, far less a motor vehicle - and we seemed to end up with quite a few of them...
